Throughout the life of this Blog, I have often opined on my conviction that short forms of communication are most effective. Indeed, that personal belief underlies the evolution of my posts to the three-short-paragraphs format.
While novels or long essays may be informative and/or entertaining, we generally only remember certain portions of the text. Short stories and brief essays are more easily remembered but their specifics may be lost over time. Poems, if brief and inspiring, are often recalled in total by the reader, especially when revisited frequently. But the most effective and long-lasting form of communication is the quote, often becoming part of the National or International lexicon; I suppose signs might also compete for that title.
Once again, my preference for short fiction, brief essays and succinct poems is evident but it is hard to argue that a message is best delivered when buried in reams of prose.
Addendum: Having re-read this post a few days later, as is my practice, I realized that I should have included song lyrics as an effective, short form of communication. When combined with a pleasing melody, their message is easily received and long remembered.
